Massage Therapist Emphasizes Balance And Well-Being

By Kaaren Valenta

When Sung Pak and his wife, Michelle, found the perfect house in Newtown to buy, they didn’t realize how auspicious the purchase would be. Mr Pak wound up not only buying the 1840s saltbox but also buying the business of the owner, Sally Conklin, who was moving to Vermont.

“While were looking at the house, knowing we intended to buy it, I saw a [massage therapy] table folded up there,” Mr Pak said. “We discovered that Sally and I were both licensed massage therapists. She asked me if I wanted to buy her business, too.

“The transactions could not have happened any easier,” Mr Pak said. “It was meant to be.”

Sung Pak has reopened Health Connection Massage at 111 Church Hill Road in Sandy Hook and has a group of licensed massage therapists working with him. He brought in the other professionals because during the week he has a full-time job.  For the past three years he has worked in Westport as  (television studio) facilities manager for Martha Stewart. His wife works in Manhattan as a portfolio manager for the Rockefeller Foundation.

“We used to live in Norwalk so it’s a longer commute for both of us, but it’s worth it,” Sung Pak said. “We love this place. Newtown has a very friendly atmosphere. It’s wonderful to live on a dirt road, see horses and chickens, and hear crickets. I’ve always want to hear crickets instead of traffic.”

Born in South Korea, Sung Pak came to the United States with his parents when he was eight years old. They settled in Indiana, and he attended Indiana University. Afterwards, he packed a carload of clothing and, with $1,500 in his pocket, headed for New York City.

“I was working in television and wound up in Norwalk,” he said. “Three years ago I started working for Martha Stewart. But I have always been interested in helping people, making them feel better. I think there is a very strong connection between body, mind, and spirit. To maintain your well-being, they must be balanced.”

So for three or four nights a week, he attended classes at the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy to become a state-licensed professional. He also is an ACE-certified personal trainer, holds a black belt in karate, and is a practitioner of jinshindo, which involves accupressure and the body’s meridian points.

“I love rock climbing, too,” he said. “It is a very spiritual sport in which you feel at one with nature.  It is also like dance, gymnastics and aerobics all in one.”

Sung Pak and his wife are vegetarians.

“What you put in your body is very important,” he explained. “Everything goes hand in hand. People need to slow down to have a healthy balance in their life, to reduce the stress. A lot of my clients have stress-related problems. They are sitting down all day, sitting at a keyboard, holding a phone on their shoulder. Maybe they sit in chairs with their legs crossed or sleep on their stomach, both of which are bad for the body.”

“I try to train people to take 10 or 15 minutes, close their eyes, practice deep breathing,” he said.

Mr Pak said that massage therapy is used to reduce the tightness caused by stress in the body and to increase mobility.

“We don’t ‘fix’ anything and we don’t give medical advice,” he said. “But many medical problems are caused by stress. You can be on medication for stress, or you can practice meditation and massage and it can often work just as well. It enhances wellness and healing.”

Sung Pak and his wife have been married for three years.

“We were best friends before we got married,” he said. “We share a lot of beliefs. We are both environmentally conscious and want to become involved in the community. We intend to have a family and raise our children in Newtown. I’d like to join a volunteer fire company and the ambulance corps.

Mr Pak said he eventually wants to add yoga, meditation, and perhaps tai chi to the services offered by Health Connection Massage.

“We are striving to maintain the same quality and caring service that clients of Sally have grown accustomed to,” he said. “Sally is a tough act to follow. She was very good. She also was a very caring person. I hope that we can do as well.”

Health Connection Massage is open to clients on an appointment basis, seven days a week to 6 pm.  To make an appointment, call 270-6564.